Austria is on the verge of implementing a nationwide prohibition on social media usage for children below the age of 14. This significant proposal, put forward by the country’s coalition government, aims to establish a compulsory minimum age for accessing such platforms, with a draft bill anticipated by June.
Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler emphasized that “it is almost impossible for parents to control their children’s consumption” on these platforms, which he described as being “deliberately designed to make them addicted.”
Alongside the proposed ban, the government intends to introduce a new school subject titled ‘Media and Democracy.’ This educational initiative is designed to equip students with the skills to better identify false information and to understand the profound influence of digital content on society.